Scotland, James VI 1593 gold Hat Piece NGC AU55 joint finest graded of date

Scotland, James VI (1567-1625), gold "Hat piece" of Eighty Shillings or Four Pounds, sixth coinage (1591-93), 1593, bearded bust of King right in tall Renaissance style hat, thistle behind, Latin legend and beaded borders surrounding both sides, initial mark cinquefoil, .IACOBVS. 6. D. G. R. SCOTORVM., rev. crowned Scottish lion with sceptre raised to heavenly cloud, Jehovah in Hebrew script in cloud, initial mark cinquefoil, stop after date in legend, .TE. SOLVM. VEREOR. 1593., weight 4.41g (SCBI 35:1157; cf.SCBI 58:1271; SCBI 71:-; Burns 4 fig.952; S.5457). Toned with a wonderful rendition of the King in the Renaissance style, good very fine and extremely rare; has been graded and slabbed by NGC as AU55, tying for the finest graded with that service, with a great provenance.

NGC certification 4628994-002 - the joint finest graded of this date as of February 2024. Additionally, we note the other example of this coin in the same grade was sold at an American auction in 2021 for a total of $90,000

The coinage of these gold Hat Pieces of Four Scottish Pounds was ordered on the 6^th August 1591 by Act of Privy Council at 22 carats fineness and £27 worth to the ounce of gold. They were the first gold coins of Scotland to adopt this fineness, of which all gold coins of Scotland and that of Great Britain have been struck ever since. All previous gold coins issued to this were called in for recoinage, apart from the Thistle Nobles of 1588-90 and the new coinage was issued for three dates 1591, 1592 and 1593 like we have offered here.

The Latin legends translate as on the obverse "James the Sixth, by the grace of God, King of Scotland" and on the reverse "Thee alone do I fear." They are extremely rare coins with a true Renaissance style portrait in miniature.

Provenance:

Ex C F Gilboy Collection, Glendining, 14^th May 1975, lot 50

Ex Spink Numismatic Circular, February 1976.

Ex St James Auction 14, 30^th September 2010, lot 483.

Ex A H Baldwin & Sons Ltd, Fixed Price List, Winter 2010, SC002.